Sydney’s public transport is run under Transport for NSW and it is genuinely good — integrated ticketing, frequent services, and a ferry network that doubles as the best sightseeing in the city.
Opal and contactless
One system covers trains, metro, ferries, buses and light rail.
You can either buy an Opal card at a newsagent or station and top it up, or simply tap on and off with a contactless bank card or phone, which works identically and is what most visitors should do.
Tap on and off every time. Failing to tap off charges you the maximum fare for that mode.
The fare caps — this is the important part
- A daily cap applies, after which travel is free for the rest of the day.
- A lower cap on Sundays, which is why Sydneysiders take the ferry somewhere on a Sunday.
- A weekly cap across Monday to Sunday.
- A discount after eight journeys in a week.
- Off-peak discounts on trains and metro outside commuter hours.
The practical effect: a day of ferries, trains and buses costs less than a single harbour cruise ticket.
Airport stations are the exception — see below.
Ferries
The best thing in the network. F1 to Manly is the classic — half an hour past the Opera House and out to the heads. F3 to Taronga Zoo, F4 to Watsons Bay and Double Bay, F5 to Cockatoo Island, F6 to Mosman, F9 to Parramatta up the river.
All on the normal fare, all capped.
The Manly Fast Ferry and some tourist services are operated privately at higher fares — check before boarding; the government ferries are the yellow-and-green ones.
Trains
Double-decker, frequent, and covering the whole metropolitan area from Central. Useful lines: T1 and T2 west and north, T4 to Bondi Junction, T8 to the airport.
The Metro
Sydney’s driverless metro opened its first stage in 2019 and the city section through the CBD to Sydenham opened in August 2024, which changed how the centre works. Stations include Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal (Pitt Street) and Central.
Trains every few minutes, no timetable to consult. Older guidance will not mention it.
Light rail
L1 from Central through Pyrmont and the Fish Market to Dulwich Hill. L2 and L3 from Circular Quay along George Street to Randwick and Kingsford.
The George Street line runs through the pedestrianised CBD and is slow but useful.
Buses
Extensive, and the only way to reach Bondi Beach — the 333 and 380 from Bondi Junction. Opal or contactless only; no cash on Sydney buses.
The airport surcharge
Domestic and International stations on the T8 line carry a station access fee on top of the fare, which is substantial and is not covered by the daily cap. See airport to the city for the ways round it.
Walking and cycling
The CBD, The Rocks, Surry Hills, Newtown and the harbour foreshore walks are all comfortably walkable. Sydney is hilly in places.
Cycling infrastructure is improving but patchy. Helmets are compulsory and the law is enforced.
Practical points
Children travel at concession rates; under-fours are free. A Child/Youth Opal card is worth getting for a family — contactless bank cards charge the adult fare regardless of who is tapping.
Concession fares are generally not available to international visitors, including students — the Australian concession Opal requires local eligibility. Do not buy one; inspectors check and the fine is substantial.
Journey planning is best done with the official Transport for NSW app or Google Maps, both of which have live data including ferry departures.
The one thing people get wrong
Tapping on but not off. The system charges the maximum fare for that mode if you do not tap off, and on a ferry that is considerably more than the trip you took.
Tap off even when there is no barrier — on buses and ferries the reader is by the door and easy to walk past.
Accessibility
The Metro is fully step-free. Most major train stations have lifts, though a number of older suburban ones do not — the Transport for NSW site lists which. All buses and light rail are low-floor with ramps, and the ferry wharves were largely rebuilt with level access.
The ferry as sightseeing
Worth stating plainly: the commercial harbour cruises cost many times an Opal fare and cover water the public ferries already go through.
F1 Manly for the Opera House, the Bridge and the heads. F4 Watsons Bay for the eastern harbour and a fish lunch at Doyle’s. F9 Parramatta for the full length of the river, ninety minutes each way, and almost nobody does it.
All capped, all on the same card.